Pulling Together
by Plague's Vengeance
Summary: Daryl readied his crossbow and smirked, "Bet I can kill more than ya, Jones." She rolled her eyes as she knocked an arrow, "Yeah, I got yer back too, Dixon. Asshole." She smirked and glanced at him, "Beside's that's a bet yer gonna lose." He scoffed at her in reply, "Whatever, Cajun." "Just shut up and shoot the damn flesh-eaters already, redneck. Good Lord." (Daryl Dixon/OC)
1. Chapter 1: Nothin' But A Graveyard

**DISCLAIMER for the _WHOLE_ story: Even though I a copy of seasons 1&2 on DVD, I own nothing you may recognize, which means The Walking Dead characters, comic book and TV series alike, are not mine. They will never be mine, no matter how badly I want my own personal Daryl Dixon...Anyhooties, OCs are mine though. Rated M for language, gore, innuendos, and possible scenes of sexual nature. You have been warned.**

* * *

The once thriving city of Atlanta was nothing more than a graveyard. A desecrated wasteland where only the dead roamed. And roam they did, shuffling and crawling through the filthy streets like sewer roaches, all of them just waiting to sink rotting teeth into warm, living flesh. It was place where no living person wanted to be.

Remy Jones curled her lip slightly as she peered carefully over the edge of the roof she was perched on. She hated coming into the dead city, even if it was necessary. The stench alone nearly knocked her on her ass every time entered the city whenever she and the kids need supplies that the woods couldn't offer them.

But for once it wasn't the stench that was bothering Remy as she continued to eye the gutted grocery store across the street from her perch. She could just make out the skinny Asian kid carefully rummaging around in the darkened store, occasionally stuffing something into the backpack he was carrying.

It was the third time she'd seen him in the past two or so weeks, and each time she'd shadowed him from the rooftops, her parkour and military training making it relatively easy to both keep up with the kid and away from the flesh-eaters that skulked around the city.

Still eyeing the Asian kid, Remy removed her black beanie and ran a long-fingered hand through her sweaty, messily cropped hair before jamming the black cap back onto her head. The kid had finished scavenging what was left in the ravaged store and was peering cautiously out of the broken front windows, bright red ball cap like a standing out like a beacon. The street was surprisingly clear of any flesh-eaters, and Remy watched as the kid darted out of the store, jogging as quickly and as quietly as he could towards the relative safety of the somewhat barricaded alley on her side of the street.

Remy shifted away from the edge and walked silently over the gravel-strewn roof, heading towards the fire escape on the alley on the other side of the building, opposite to the one the kid had disappeared into. A muffled gasp reached her keen ears and Remy paused mid-step. She pivoted on her heel and strode rapidly towards the other side of the roof, peering down into the alley below. Her amber eyes took in the scene below, her mind rapidly processing the situation with military precision.

Two flesh-eaters, one in a ripped business suit and the other in a delivery uniform, were at the other end of the alley, shuffling aimlessly towards where the Asian kid was huddled against a dumpster, obviously trying to blend into the brickwork of the building she was on. The flesh-eater in the business suit had been shuffling a few feet ahead of the other one, and Remy watched as it suddenly seemed to perk up, it's drooping head swiveling towards the dumpster the kid was hiding behind.

The woman slipped the longbow from her back and took on of the arrows from the quiver hanging from her waist, shifting her stance and nocking the arrow. The flesh-eater was had started rapidly shuffling towards the dumpster, catching the other flesh-eater's attention and Remy quickly drew the bow string back as she aimed.

* * *

Glenn huddled as close to the dumpster as he could, his mind whirling as he tried to think of a way to get out of the alley without being seek by the geeks. He could hear them shuffling closer and he clamped a hand over his mouth in an attempt to quiet his breathing, his heart slamming against his ribs almost painfully. A soft whistle abruptly pierced the air and Glenn bit the palm of his hand to keep from squeak in shock and terror. He heard the sound of a body hitting the ground and The arrow flew through the air and slammed into the flesh-eater's forehead, piercing the softened skull and knocking it onto its back.

He peered cautiously around the dumpster and stared in dumfounded relief at the limp body of the walker lying on the ground only feet away from his hiding place, an long arrow sticking out of it's eye socket. In the next instant another arrow sprouted from the second geek's left eye and it collapsed backwards without a sound, the arrow still shaking from the impact.

Glenn stared at the two decaying dead-dead bodies for several moments then slowly dragged his eyes upward, his breath catching in his throat when he saw the figure perched on the roof of the building he was leaning against. With the afternoon sun at the person's back and glaring into his eyes, Glenn was unable to make out the person's features or gender.

He almost called out when the person stepped away from the roof edge and out of sight. He choked on a gasp a moment later when his rescuer literally _leapt_ across the alley and disappeared onto the roof of the opposite building. The figure reappeared at the top of the fire escape and Glenn watched unsurely as the person moved down the fire escape silently, silently praying that whoever the person that had saved him was, that they wouldn't kill him or take the supplies he'd gathered.

* * *

Remy dropped down from the fire escape and landed in a crouch across from the Asian kid, who had begun to tremble slightly as she walked a few steps closer. Eying the kid like he was a skittish alley cat, she crouched down a foot or so in front of him.

"You alright, kid?"

He jumped and stared at her with wide brown eyes, his mouth opening and closing several times like a fish but no sound came out. Remy quirked a brow at him and tilted her head slightly to the side. His eyes shifted away from hers and, if possible, widened even more when his gaze came to rest on the left side of her face.

"Well?" She prompted quietly as she ignored his dumbfounded staring while keeping her ears tuned for any more flesh-eaters, "You a'ight or not?"

The kid swallowed convulsively a few times and opened his mouth again, "I-I-um."

Remy exhaled heavily through her nose and tried not to roll her eyes in exasperation as she stood, grabbing the kid's shirt collar and yanking him to his feet. He squeaked slightly, but she decided to ignore the sound as she looked him over with a practiced eye. Not seeing anything worth bashing his head in with her crowbar, Remy released his shirt collar abruptly and stepped back. She pivoted on her heel and started walking over to the two corpses, pressing her foot to their soft skulls and wrenching her arrows from their eye sockets.

"Wait!"

She stopped walking towards the other end of the alley and glanced over her shoulder at the kid, quirking a brow.

* * *

Glenn swallowed thickly when the woman that had saved him stopped and looked over her shoulder him, amber eyes locking onto him with an unnerving intensity. He wrapped his hands around the straps of his backpack and hurriedly jogged towards her, his heart pounding heavily against his ribs when he skirted past the dead walkers.

"U-um, thank you." He stuttered out quietly when he reached the woman's side, nervously looking around for any walkers, "I don't think I could have gotten away if you hadn't taken those geeks down." He could feel his face starting to heat up when the woman continued to look at him from the corner of her eye, "S-s-so thank you. Again."

The woman finally turned towards him and tilted her head slightly to the side in a curious manner, unnerving amber eyes scrutinizing him closely. Glenn swallowed nervously again and tried to keep eye contact, but his gaze unwillingly kept drifting towards the scars that littered the left side of her face.

"Welcome." She said simply then turned away and continued towards the street, pulling a black, serrated machete from the sheath hanging from her hip.

Glenn gaped at her back for several moments before rushing after her again, "Wait! Please!"

* * *

Remy stopped walking again and resheathed her machete with a sigh, glancing up at the sickeningly clear blue sky imploringly as she muttered, "Why me?"

The kid shuffled to a stop beside her again and looked at her with an almost puppy-like expression, "W-what's your name?"

Remy eyed him with annoyance, "Does it matter?"

He faltered and blinked at her, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy, "I-um, y-yeah. I mean, I'm Glenn." He stuck his hand out towards her, but quickly grabbed his backpack strap again when she did nothing more than stare blankly at it, "D-do you have somewhere to go?"

"You," Remy drawled, her Louisiana twang coming in thick and she flicked his sweaty forehead, "Are way too trustin', kid. That'll get ya killed, idiot."

The kid, Glenn, recoiled and touched his forehead, staring at her with wide brown eyes and a slack-jawed expression. He started to stutter a retort but Remy waved her hand dismissively and pulled a crowbar from one of her belt loops. She grabbed the kid's hand and slapped the heavy iron bar into his palm, ignoring his stuttered protests.

"Ya need t'git goin', kid. This ain't no place to be after dark." Remy stated flippantly as she unsheathed her machete and turned away, heading down the mostly empty street after a quick look around.

* * *

Glenn stared after the mystery woman stupidly then glanced down at the heavy crowbar in his hand. He looked up again and sucked in a quiet breath when he saw that the woman had disappeared. He looked around almost frantically for the woman then swallowed thickly when he realized that she was gone. Shifting his grip on the crowbar, Glenn took a fortifying breath and cautiously looked around for any walkers before rushing out of the relative safety of the alley, heading in the direction of the freeway that would take him out of the city.

* * *

"_Vous stupide salope_." Remy swore to herself in French and gritted her teeth in aggravation, squinting her eyes against the slowly setting sun as she trekked through the rapidly darkening woods several miles away outside of Atlanta, "That's the last time I save some dumbass from flesh-eaters. _M__erde,_ stupid ass kid."

More French curses tripped off her tongue as she shifted her ALICE pack so that it didn't press her longbow into her back then she lengthened her strides, switching into an easy lope that she could keep up for a few more hours before tiring. Trepidation tightened her chest and knotted her stomach almost painfully as the sun continued to set, the forest becoming more ominous and treacherous with each moment, tightening her grip on the handle of her machete and listening intently for any sounds that didn't belong.

A faint light caught her eye and relief flooded through her like a soothing drink in the desert. Remy smirked slightly as she approached the tree with the faintly glowing cross that had been painted on the trunk with glow-in-the-dark spray paint, brushing her fingers against the colored bark.

Still keeping an eye and hear out for any flesh-eaters, Remy pulled out her small tactical flashlight and flicked it on quickly before setting off again. The heavy feeling in her chest steadily got lighter when she saw another faintly glowing spray painted cross on another tree after walking for several more minutes. She broke out into a quick jog when she passed by a third marker and after several feet, she stepped onto an unkempt dirt driveway.

Remy slowed to a rapid walk and exhaled in relief when the small, but sturdy two-story cabin with a garage at the end of the dirt driveway came into view. She did a quick circuit around the structure, ignoring the handless and toothless flesh-eaters that were tied to each corner of the cabin as they moaned and strained against the thick ropes tied around their decaying necks. She gave a low hum of approval when she didn't find anything that was out of place then made her way back around the cabin, releasing a soft six note whistle when she was standing at the bottom of the porch.

An answering six note whistle pierced the air a moment later and the flesh-eater that was chained to the ground like a dog beside the porch stairs shifted with a groan. The cabin door creaked open and, ignoring the handless arms reaching for her, Remy made her way up the porch steps.

"How's yer sister doin', Jace?" The amber-eyed woman asked as she slipped her pack off her shoulders.

The tall, lanky young man skulking in the doorway with a crossbow in hand grimaced as he stepped aside to let the woman inside the cabin, "Fever broke while ya were gone. Cough seems worse though."

Remy nodded once and strode up the stairs that were next to the kitchen entryway, taking the steps two at a time while Jace shut and locked the door behind her. She pushed open the last door at the end of the short hallway and paused just inside the room, amber eyes meeting tired baby blue from across the room.

"Hey there, _chérie._" Remy cooed as she walked towards the bed where her goddaughter was bundled up under several blankets, "How ya feelin', Annie-baby?"

"I'm bored." The ten year old girl whined with a pout, causing Remy to chuckle lightly as she sat down in the chair beside the bed, "Fen's the only one keepin' me company."

At the sound of his name, the large wolf-dog's dark head appeared on the other side of the bed, his tongue lolling out of his mouth happily when he caught sight of his mistress. Remy smiled and dropped the army pack on the floor between her legs then began digging around inside the main compartment. Fenrir barked quietly and trotted around the bed towards Remy, licking her arm in greeting before sitting beside her.

"Ya know yer brother's gotta keep watch while 'm gone, baby doll." Remy chided lightly as she pulled out a box of cough medicine that she'd managed to find after raiding a mostly intact pharmacy. She placed the little box on the nightstand beside her and reached into the pack again, pulling out a faded red package, "But look what I got ya."

Annie's tired eyes light up at the sight of the worn package, "Skittles!"

Remy pulled the candy out of the young girl's reach with a chiding look, "Nuh uh, _chérie_, gotta take yer medicine first." She placed the skittles on the nightstand and picked up the box, dumping the bottle of cough syrup into her hand, "C'mon then, beautiful, sit up some for _tante _Remy."

Annie rolled her blue eyes in annoyance as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard. Fenrir rumbled excitedly and jumped onto the foot of the bed as soon as the young girl was upright, sprawling out on his side with a happy huff that caused Remy to sigh in exasperation while Annie giggled.

"Crazy mutt." The southern woman mumbled fondly with an eye roll as she poured some of the cough syrup into the little plastic medicine cup then she handed it to Annie, "There, drink up, _chérie._"

"Grape, yuck." Annie scrunched her nose up in distaste but she downed the medicine like it was a shot of Jack, gagging in disgust as she handed the empty cup back to her godmother, "_Blegh."_

"Suck it up, baby doll." Remy snorted in amusement as she put the medicine away and grabbed the packet of skittles, opening it and dumping a few into her hand, "Here, eat a couple skittles then it's back to bed for you."

Annie sighed in childish annoyance as she took the proffered skittles, popping a couple in her mouth. Remy smiled slightly at the blissful expression on the ten year old girl's pallid face as she ate the rest of the candies then the older woman stood.

"C'mon, bed now." Remy ordered with mock sternness as she helped her goddaughter lay back down and tucked the blankets around her. She pressed a soft kiss to Annie's forehead then smiled down at her, "Get some rest, Annie-baby. I'll be back up to give ya some more medicine later."

Annie nodded tiredly in agreement and turned onto her side, patting the space in front of her, "Come snuggle with me, Fen."

The black-phased wolf-dog sat up and looked over at Remy inquisitively, then he crawled up beside the young blonde girl when the woman nodded in approval. Annie wrapped her arms around the large canine and pressed her face into his furry back, her breathing deepening as she drifted to sleep. Remy smiled again and kissed the side of her again then patted Fenrir's head before slipping quietly out of the bedroom, her pack in one hand and the skittles resting on the nightstand beside the cough syrup.

* * *

Jace glanced up from his position beside the carefully boarded up window in the living room when Remy came down the stairs, a hunting rifle in his lap and his crossbow by his feet.

"She gon' be okay?" The seventeen year old asked, his eyes riveted on his godmother.

"Yeah," Remy hummed as she sat down on the ground in front of the couch and carefully began empty her pack out on the ground, "I found a box of cough medicine, should work, but if that don't then I found some other shit too. Here."

Jace caught the back of Cheetos she tossed at him, his confused expression morphing into one of amazement. He looked up at Remy and she smiled at him fondly, shrugging one shoulder.

"Found 'em under a turned over shelf, might be a little crushed but what the hell."

The teen grinned at her and tore open the bag, tossing a couple of the artificial cheese-flavored chips into his mouth as he went back to keeping a lookout. Remy finished packing the more necessary supplies inside the kitchen before slipping out to the garage and packing the spare things into her H1 alpha wagon.

"Gonna need more meat soon, 'm gonna go huntin' in the next couple of days, a'right?" Remy commented as she walked over to where Jace was sitting after grabbing her rifle from under the couch, "You go on get t'bed, I'll keep watch for a couple hours."

The teen nodded and stood, shoving the Cheetos bag into a pocket before grabbing his crossbow from the floor.

"Night, _tante._" He bent down and pressed a quick kiss to the auburn-haired woman's cheek before disappearing upstairs.

Remy waited until she heard his door close then she sat down in the chair by the window, peering out at the dark woods between the slat that was just big enough for the muzzle of a rifle to fit through. As she kept watched, she wondered if the young man she'd saved back in the city managed to get back to his group then she shrugged the thought away.

"No point in ponderin' on those thoughts, Remy." She mumbled to herself as she pulled one of her Berettas from her shoulder holster and began checking it over, "Ain't like I'm gonna see 'im again anyway."

* * *

**Author's Note: Wheee! Finally, I've managed to start working on the bloody rewrite of _When the Gun Smoke Settles. _My friend decided to give me free reign over the story and I hit a terrible case of writer's block, which has been cured after I sat down and started re-watching Season 1 of TWD, it was also partially inspired by the song _Welcome to the Gun Show _by In This Moment****. ****I am no expert in French and I'm using an online translator as well as an online French swear word website that's kind of helping. **Title of the song is actually part of the quote 'There's us and the dead. We survive this by pulling together, not apart.' **-Rick Grimes, Season 1: Episode 3****  
Anyhooties, updates are probably gonna be sporadic since this is like a side project that I'm working on while I try to wrap my head around Chapter 48 of **_Open Your Mind_**, Chapter 10 of **_Smash the Control Machine_**, and Chapter 4 of **_The Girl Who Can't Be Touched_**_._ I hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter!**

**Translations:**

**_Vous stupide salope:_** You stupid bitch

_**Merde:**_ Shit

_**Chérie: **_Darling/Love/Sweetheart

**PSS - I know it's a bit a ways in the future, but would y'all like Sophie to live or just stick to the original storyline of season 2? I'd like to get an idea of what to do with her now so I can start planning for that particular part of this story, so your input would be much appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2: Might Think I'm Crazy

Remy crouched down and brushed some of the leaves littering the ground aside, looking over the faint deer tracks that were revealed. She looked in the direction the tracks headed, idly scratching at her scarred cheek before she stood upright and patted her thigh lightly.

Fenrir, his thick pink tongue lolling out of his mouth, trotted to her side after marking several of the nearby trees. He panted happily then licked the back of her hand, snorting at the disgusting taste of her grimy leather fingerless glove that coated his tongue.

Remy glanced down at her loyal companion with a small smirk and a raised brow, "Stop lickin' it if ya don't like the taste, ya idjit."

The large wolfdog looked up at her with an almost offended look on his canine face and Remy patted his head in a placating manner while rolling her eyes in amused exasperation.

"C'mon ya yuppy, 'fore we lose the trail."

* * *

Remy narrowed her eyes as she observed the small herd of deer drinking from the small creek, Fenrir's tense form crouched silently beside her behind the bushes they were hiding behind. She bypassed both of the three younger does as well as the matriarch of the herd, focusing instead of the two bucks grazing on the short grass on the edge of the creek. She pursed her lips as she looked between the two male deer, debating which of the two would be better to take down. She eyed the larger buck critically for several moments then the smaller one before she silently slipped an arrow from the quiver at her waist.

Nocking the arrow in her longbow, Remy stood seamlessly and took aim at the smaller buck in the same moment, loosing the arrow a second later. The arrow sailed inaudible through the air and struck the male deer behind his left shoulder. The buck jolted and stumbled forward while the rest of his herd scattered into the trees, the smaller buck stumbling after them a moment later.

Remy lowered her bow and sighed softly, rubbing the back of her hand against her mouth then she slipped out from behind the bushes and sauntered towards the creek. Fenrir slipped passed her, ignoring the water that soaked his paws as he trotted through the shallow creek to where the deer had been grazing. Remy slipped her longbow onto her back as she trudged through the creek after the wolfdog, who had his nose pressed to the ground where a blood trail led in the forest.

"Double lung shot." The woman scratched at her cheek idly as she looked at the start of the blood trail, "Possibly nicked the heart too. Doubt he'll be makin' it too far." She waved a hand when Fenrir looked up at her inquisitively, "Git 'im, boy."

The wolfdog yipped softly in excitement and leapt through the bushes after the blood trail the buck left behind with Remy skulking quietly after him, her amber eyes flicking around restlessly for anything that might try and eat her or Fenrir.

* * *

Fenrir pranced around the dead buck's body, thick tail wagging excitedly and his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth as he waited for his mistress to walk over.

"Good boy, Fen." Remy praised with a smile as rubbed the wolfdog's large head, "Yes, you're such a good boy, _chérie. _Such a good puppy."

Fenrir rumbled lowly and pushed his head firmly against her hand, his eyes closed in bliss and his tail wagging furiously. The auburn-haired woman chuckled lowly and gave her loyal canine companion one last pat on the head before turning to look at the cooling deer corpse.

"Ya keep watch, Fen." She instructed as she removed her longbow from her back and set it on the ground then she slipped the canvas satchel off her shoulder and kneeled beside the corpse, "An' I'll take care of this."

Fenrir flicked his left ear in acknowledgement and began to pace around her and the deer protectively, gold eyes riveted on the trees surrounding them. Remy smiled slightly at the wolfdog before she turned her attention to the buck, removing her arrow from his shoulder then shifting him onto his back. She kneeled beside the splayed out deer carcass then removed several drawstring cloth bags from the satchel, placing them on the ground beside her.

"A'right," Remy muttered with a grimace as she pulled her hunting knife from her boot sheath and began the tedious task of field dressing the buck after removing her leather gloves, "Here comes the fun part."

She was in the middle of placing the organs in the drawstring bags when Fenrir suddenly stopped pacing right in front of her, his muscular body rigid with tension and his lips curled back to reveal his sharp teeth. Remy paused in her ministrations for a moment and looked up at the wolfdog before carefully finishing her what she was doing, her gaze never leaving Fenrir's tensely coiled form.

A rumbling growl, like distant thunder, came from the canine's broad chest, but Remy noted that it wasn't the same growl he made when he caught a flesh-eater's scent, which meant it was either a different kind of predator that was attracted by the smell of the buck's blood or it was a human. With the world the way it was nowadays, Remy wasn't sure which would be worse to deal with; a cougar or a breather.

Remy between the deer carcass and Fenrir several times, then she pursed her lips agitatedly and exhaled heavily through her nose.

"_Merde_." She swore with a growl as she grabbed the drawstrings bags with the organs and placed them in the canvas satchel then slipped it over her head, "_Fils de pute. B__aise_. Merde baise!" Her grandmother was no doubt turning over in her grave as more colorful curses spilled from Remy's lips as grabbed her longbow and she stood up straight then she flung her arm out towards Fenrir, "Let's go!"

The wolfdog took off into the trees like a shot and Remy lunged after him, leaving what was left of the carcass on the ground. She just hoped that she could get back to it before something else did. Sadly, she doubted she would.

* * *

Carl sniffled and bit his bottom lip to keep from sobbing too loudly as he looked around him, staring at the never ending trees surrounding him in distress. He clutched the empty red bucket in his hands tightly and continued to turn in a slow circle, hoping to find the way he'd come from. He'd just wanted to help out the group by finding some berries or mushrooms in the woods around the quarry, like Amy and his mom did, he really hadn't meant to wander so far away from the camp. Now he was lost in the woods with no way to get back and it was already late afternoon.

He turned in a slow circle again and stifled another sob of distress. All the trees and bushes looked the same to him and every time he tried to find something that looked familiar, the more lost he became. He really, really wished he'd listened to his mom about not leaving Dale's sight as he wandered passed a tree that looked just like the others around it.

Biting his lip even harder, Carl stopped walking and looked around again as he debated calling out for help, hoping that he was at least close enough to the camp that_ someone_ might hear him.

"H-Help!" He called out weakly then he sniffled and cleared his throat, "Help! Someone help me!"

A twig suddenly snapped behind him and Carl whirled around, holding the plastic bucket defensively in front of him. He knew it wouldn't do a lot of good, but it made him feel a little better to know that he had something to maybe defend himself with. Carl made a strangled noise and stumbled backwards as the small feeling of security the bucket gave him disappeared and was replaced by abject terror. He clutched the red bucket and trembled, riveted in place by the bright gold eyes staring at him from the shadows of the trees a foot or so away from him.

A massive black wolf slipped from between the trees and Carl squeaked out a curse word he'd heard Shane use once, staggering backwards and falling onto his backside after tripping over his feet in his haste to get away from the huge canine. The wolf paused and sat down in front of the trees, yellow eyes focusing on him while its head tilted to the side in an almost curious manner.

Carl swallowed thickly as he and the wolf stared each other down for several moments before the massive canine's tongue suddenly lolled out of its mouth and its tail began to slowly wag against the ground as it regarded him with intelligent eyes.

"G-good wolf." The twelve year old stuttered in slight fear as he held his hand out towards the canine tentatively, "A-are you friendly? Please be friendly..."

The black wolf barked quietly and laid down on its stomach then rolled over onto its back, exposing its grayish belly and wagging its tail a little faster. A quiet, nervous giggle escaped Carl and he cautiously crawled over to the large canine, the bucket still clutched in one hand.

"Good boy." He muttered after catching sight of the canine's very visible privates as he kneeled beside him and finally let go of the bucket, feeling a little surer of himself as he warily began rubbing the wolf's furry belly.

The wolf made what could have been a groan of pleasure and his tongue lolled out even more, his tail wagging even faster and back leg kicking rapidly.

"Really? A kid? Y'all really enjoy screwing with me dontcha?"

Carl jumped and fell onto his backside with a small yelp of fright at the voice that came from the shadows the wolf had come from. The wolf rumbled happily and rolled to his feet, tail wagging fiercely as he looked in the direction of the speaker with a canine expression of adoration.

A muscular woman a little shorter than his mother stepped out of the shadows, an amused expression on her scarred face as she regarded the wolf. Carl bit his bottom lip and stared at the woman with wide eyes when she looked at him with a pair of hard amber eyes almost the exact same shade as the wolf's.

He whimpered quietly and scooted back a bit when the woman slowly crouched in front of him, flinching slightly when she stretched her fingerless-gloved hand out. Her expression softened as she regarded him quietly, her eyes going from hard amber to warm honey as compassion filled them. Carl immediately felt silly when the black wolf trotted towards the woman and pushed his large head under, tail wagging happily as the amber-eyed woman scratched the wolf's big ears. She met his frightened blue eyes with a gentle expression and a soft smile.

"You don't have t'be afraid, _ami_." The woman stated in her soothing, strangely accented Southern drawl and she stopped scratching the wolf head to rest it on his broad back, "What're ya doin' out here all by yer lonesome, sweetheart?"

Carl eyed her hand warily and sniffled, wiping the back of his hand against his nose before he replied, "I-I'm lost..."

The woman tossed her head back and laughed lowly, "I'd say that would be a safe assumption, _ami_."

He relaxed slightly at the husky sound of her laughter, the sound soothing his frayed nerves like a balm and he looked at her curiously. He took in the multiple small scars that were scattered across most of the left side of her face then his eyes drifted towards another scar that was much larger than the others that littered the side of her face. Unconsciously he shifted closer to the woman, who was watching him patiently as he continued to scrutinize the large scar that cut diagonally through half of her left eyebrow, starting just millimeters from the top of her eyelid and ending at her hairline.

"Where did you get that?" Carl asked and pointed at the largest scar, his curiosity outweighing his fear of the strange woman and the wolf dog sitting beside her, "Does it hurt? And who were you talking to a few minutes ago?"

The woman smiled and ran the fingers of her free hand over the scar, "Nah, it doesn't hurt anymore. Hasn't in a long time. And I was talkin' to my grand-père, my grandfather, up in Heaven." She stood slowly and held her hand out to him, wiggling her fingers, "How 'bout I tell ya all about how I got it while I take ya back to yer group. Ya do have a group right? Yer not on yer own?"

"Oh, okay. I have a group." Carl stared at the mysterious woman's hand for a moment then grasped it, a soft noise of surprise escaping him when she hauled him to his feet easily, as if he weighed nothing at all, "My name's Carl. What's yours?"

The wolf barked quietly and pranced around them, his tongue lolling out as he panted happily. The woman shushed him sternly, but Carl saw the smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Name's Remy." She replied as she picked up the red bucket and held it out to him, "It's good that yer not alone, Carl. Do you know where your group's camp is?"

"No. I mean, I know its in a quarry, but I don't know _where _that is." He held the bucket close to his chest and scuffed his foot against the ground sheepishly, "My mom told me not to wander to far, but I wanted to find some berries or mushrooms to help out with food." The wolf sat in front of him and Carl scratched at his ears with a smile, "What's his name? Is he a wolf? He looks like a wolf."

"He's part wolf, part dog. His full name's Fenrisúlfr, but my family just calls him Fenrir or Fen." Remy replied in her accented drawl that Carl found oddly nice to listen to, "Ya said yer group was camped at the quarry?"

"Hmm."

Remy whistled lowly and put her hands on her hips, eying the young boy standing in front of her, "Doggone, _ami_, ya walked mighty far for a city kid."

Carl looked up at her with wide blue eyes and a panicked expression, "Is that bad? I mean, can you take me back there?"

"_Shh_, don't you fret now, sweetheart." Remy cooed soothingly as she kneeled in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders gently, "I know where the quarry is, but we gotta hurry. The woods ain't very safe nowadays, but it's even less safe at night. Alright?"

Carl ducked his head and fidgeted, biting his bottom lip unsurely, "O-okay."

Remy gently put her knuckles under his chin and lifted his head, "Good boy," She smiled and tapped his nose before straightening, "Now lets get a move on, yeah?"

"Yes ma'am." The young boy said in slightly more chipper tone and Remy placed a hand on top of his head, ruffling his brown hair.

"A'right, Fen, ya take point boyo. Here, take my hand Carl."

Carl hesitated only a moment more then nodded in assent, taking the hand Remy held out to him and following her and Fenrir into the trees.

"Will you still tell me about how you got your scars?"

Remy laughed and smiled down at him, "Sure, Carl, but first why don't you tell me about your camp? And just what ya were doin' this deep in the woods?"

* * *

"Then there's Shane, he was my dad's best friend." Carl chattered to Remy happily as they walked side-by-side with Fenrir trotting a few steps ahead of them, "He took care of me an' my mom after my dad died an' everything happened." The young boy bobbed his head excitedly as he hopped over a tree root, "He's really awesome, everyone at camp does what he says 'cause he's the leader."

"Is that so." Remy murmured with a small smile, her eyes restlessly scanning the trees and occasionally glancing at the darkening sky warily before focusing on Fenrir, "Sounds like a swell guy, _chérie_."

"Yeah," Carl agreed enthusiastically as he swung their conjoined hands with a happy grin, "He's really, really cool, Remy. I think you'll like each other a lot."

Remy paused mid-step, causing Carl to stumble in surprise at her abrupt stop. She caught him easily around the waist and placed him back on his feet, chuckling quietly at his vaguely indignant expression as he looked up at her. In front of them, Fenrir stopped and turned around to stare at them with his head tilted curiously. Remy waved her hand in his direction and he sat down on his haunches, large ears perked up alertly.

"What's wrong?" Carl asked worriedly, looking between the woman and the wolfdog with large blue eyes.

Trusting her canine companion to keep watch, Remy crouched down in front of Carl and rested her hands on his shoulders, "Carl, sweetheart, 'm not gonna be able to stay at yer camp."

"Why?" The young boy asked in a small voice, his bottom lip quivering slightly with the beginnings of a pout, "Why can't you an' Fen stay with me? It's safe there, you'll be protected."

"Aw, hun, I bet it is very safe at yer camp," Remy replied soothingly as she brushed several stray hairs from his forehead, "But, _chérie_, I have my own group. People need me to take care of them."

"Well, they can come too. Shane won't mind, I know he won't."

"Darlin', ya got to understand." The woman said patiently, tilted her head slightly to catch Carl's eyes, "I only know what you've been tellin' me about yer group, what you've told me about Shane, I don't know if I can trust them. And they don't know if they can trust me." She nudged his chin up with a finger when he continued to avoid her eyes, "_Chérie_, you're a good kid, but I gotta protect my people and yer man Shane, he's gotta protect _yer_ people, understand?"

Carl sniffled and gave a jerk nod in reply, looking off to the side to avoid her eyes.

"Hey," Remy cooed, gently grasping his chin and forcing him to look her in the eye, "Do you understand, Carl?"

He sniffled again and wiped his nose with the back of his hand, "Yes, ma'am. I understand."

"Good." Remy said with a soft smile then she gave him a stern look, "Now, ya got to promise me somethin', can ya do that fer me?" She waited until he nodded in assent before continuing to speak, "I need ya to promise me that ya won't go into the woods by yourself ever again. Can ya promise me that?"

He met her eyes and nodded, "I promise, Remy."

"Good, now lets go." She smiled and ruffled his hair as she straightened, "We're pretty close to the quarry."

"Really?" Carl asked, visibly perking up as he spun around to face Fenrir, "How can you tell?"

Remy chuckled quietly and patted her thigh, silently calling Fenrir to her side then she gestured towards the ground, "Look at the ground, see the footprints there? Under the leaves?"

Carl crouched down and stared intently at the ground while Remy and Fenrir stood protectively over him, waiting patiently for him finish inspecting the ground. He stood up and looked up at her with an awed expression.

"How did you see _those_? They're practically invisible!"

She smiled and rubbed his head affectionately, "Lotsa practice, _chérie_. Lotsa, lotsa practice."

"That's so cool!" Carl exclaimed, causing Remy to laugh lightly in amusement.

"C'mon, sweetheart. I betcha momma is worried sick 'bout ya."

Remy laughed again when his excited expression fell and he blanched, sheepishly kicking his feet against the ground. She ruffled his hair again, chuckling lightly at the indignant noise he made as he tried to fix his hair, though there was a smile tugging at his lips.

"Now how 'bout I tell ya how I got these scars as we walk the rest of the way, yeah?"

* * *

"Carl!" Lori called out desperately as she walked through the woods surrounding the camp in search of her wayward son, "Carl! Baby, where are you?"

The frantic mother could hear Shane and several others shouting for her son as they scoured the woods for Carl. Lori spun around when she heard a twig snapped and relief filled her when she saw Shane standing there.

"Did you find him?" She asked as she hurriedly approached him, wringing her thin hands together in worry.

Shane ran a hand through his curly hair, a distressed look in his dark eyes, "We've looked in the woods around the camp and around the quarry, but we can't find any sign of him. If the Dixons weren't out hunting, I'd ask them about trackin' him."

Lori made a distraught sound and tears cascaded down her cheeks as she thought about her young son wandering all by himself in the woods. Shane stepped forward and wrapped his big arms around her comfortingly, one large hand rubbing soothing circles on her lower back.

"Shane, my baby, he's alone in the woods. He could be hurt or worse!" She wailed despondently.

"Shane! Lori! Come quick!" Dale's sudden shout from back at camp stopped Shane from replying.

The burly former officer quickly let go of the thin brunette and she took off like a shot back towards the camp, with him not too far behind.

"Carl!" Lori shouted in relief when she saw her son standing beside Dale, Jacqui, and Jim, the red bucket they used for collecting mushrooms held in one hand, "Oh, my baby!"

"Mom!" Carl whined in protest as he started wiggling in his sobbing mother's vice grip, "I'm fine, Mom, honestly."

"Where were you?" Lori demanded sternly as she held her son at arm's length by the shoulders, a harsh frown on her thin face, "I've been worried sick! I've told you hundred times, not to wander away from camp!"

"But Mom, I wanted to help get food for the rest of the camp." Carl stated petulantly and he held the bucket up, showing her the berries and mushrooms Remy had pointed out to him while they had been walking, "Look! I found some berries!"

"You know you're not supposed to leave Dale's sight, Carl." Shane scolded the young boy with a frown as he looked at Dale, "Where did you find him?"

Dale shrugged helplessly, "That's the thing, we didn't. He just wandered back into camp, Jacqui and Jim saw him slipping under the string of cans."

"Where were you?"

Lori demanded again as she looked at her son in the eye after hearing what Dale had said, "What were you thinking, Carl?! You could have gotten hurt!"

The young boy hung his head and scuffed his foot in the dirt with a frown, "I just wanted to help the camp."

Shane stepped forward and put a hand on Lori's shoulder, pulling her attention to him. The former deputy gave her a reassuring smile then he looked at the twelve year old boy. Lori stood with a huff and she took a few steps back, her thin arms crossed over her small chest as she regarded her son and her husband's best friend through slightly narrowed eyes.

"That's very good of ya, Carl, but next time ya have to ask if you can leave camp and see if ya can take an adult, alright." Shane said gently as he put a hand his charge's shoulder, "But, how did you get back to camp?"

Carl hesitated a moment as he looked at Shane, the man that had taken care of him and his mom after his father died and the dead started rising and eating people. He didn't want to lie to Shane, but at the same time he didn't want to tell him about Remy. He wanted her to be his secret.

"I was lost." He said after a moment and he frowned slightly, "I-it was scary and I tried calling for help, but I think I was too far away. I didn't know where to go, but then this-this really big dog appeared. Shane, you should have seen 'im! He was huge, almost as tall as me and he was all black with a gray belly. At first I was really scared of him because he was so big, but then he just kinda rolled over and let me rub his belly!"

"Carl," Shane broke in gently, stopping the young boy mid-ramble and gently prodding him to continue, "The dog sounds awesome, but did you see anyone with the dog? Anyone at all?"

lady appeared, from the same direction the dog came from. She was really, really nice, Shane. I told her we were camped at the quarry and she brought me back." He held up the bucket of berries again, "He showed me which berries and mushrooms were okay to eat while we walked."

Shane frowned and he looked at Carl carefully, "This lady, did she hurt you? Didn't try anythin' did she?"

"No." Carl responded with a frown, feeling slightly annoyed that no one was acknowledging the fact that he had brought food back to the camp, something everyone was always saying they needed.

"This is a great find, son." Dale complimented the young boy warmly as he took the bucket from his hand, "I'll have Amy wash these up and we can have them with dinner, how does that sound?"

Carl smiled delightedly up at the older man, happy to finally be acknowledged and he nodded eagerly.

"Carl," Shane stated, pulling the young boy's attention back to him, "Did this woman tell you her name?"

"No." Carl replied innocently with a shrug, feeling strangely exhilarated at being able to keep Remy's identity all to himself, "She didn't say anything really, just what berries and mushrooms were okay to eat and which weren't."

Shane nodded slowly and he gently pushed Carl towards his waiting mother then he straightened, his dark eyes scanning the tree line around camp.

"Jim, do ya think ya and Jacqui can show me where you found Carl comin' into camp?" Shane questioned carefully as he stared at the trees warily.

Jim nodded quietly and he gestured for Shane to follow him, Jacqui trailing after them while Dale went back to his perch on top of his old Winnebago. Shane stopped by his Jeep and grabbed his shotgun from the back then he continued to follow after Jacqui and Jim, his frown deep and annoyed.

* * *

Remy hovered in the shadows of the trees just outside the line of strung up cans, amber eyes narrowed and focused on Carl as a thin, brunette woman, his mother no doubt, kneeled in front of him with brawny, curly-haired man standing protectively over them, one hand resting on the gun his waist. Behind the three, an older man in a Hawaiian shirt and a bucket, a tall, thin, scruffy man, and a pretty dark-skinned woman all stood looking at the young boy in concern and amazement.

She watched the reunion quietly from behind the tree with Fenrir at her side, making sure that Carl's mother was actually going to keep an eye on him this time around before she left. Remy just hoped he listened and kept his promise to her, but he seemed like a hardheaded and independent kid, something that reminded Remy of herself and her brothers when they were his age.

"C'mon, Fen." The young woman breathed quietly as she slowly walked backwards into the forest when she saw the thin scruffy man lead the big man and the pretty black woman away from the Carl and his mother, heading toward the place she had left Carl just outside the line hanging cans.

The black wolf-dog trotted silently after his mistress, appearing to almost glide through the trees and bushes, slipping in and out of the shadows along the woman.

Remy sighed and scratched her cheek through the fabric of her mask, "Ah hell, _cher_, looks like it's squirrels an' rabbits fer dinner t'night. Deer's, no doubt attracted the predators, or worse, the flesh-eaters. Goddammit."

She ran her hand the scruff around Fenrir's neck as she continued quietly, "Better head back that way an' kill any sacks o' guts that mighta stumbled onto the carcass. Can't have any of 'em findin' those people in tha quarry, now can we?"

A snort was the only response from the wolf-dog at her side and Remy rolled her amber eyes in amusement.

"I gotta stop talkin' to yer furry ass. An' Grand-père, people might think 'm crazy or somethin'."

* * *

**Author's Note: Ugh, this chapter was a pain in the ass to write, I couldn't seem to get it to work with me or anything. I'm still not 100% happy with it, but I'm gonna post it up anyway. I've still got a horrible case of writer's block when it comes to** _Smash the Control Machine _**and** _Open Your Mind_**, plus this month has been kinda crazy for me what with Christmas rapidly approaching and just plain old life kicking me in the teeth, but hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter for both of the other stories up soon. Also I am still no expert in the French language, I'm using a translator, so if anyone has any corrections feel free to tell me.**

**PS - Also I forgot to ask in the first chapter, but would y'all like Dale AND Sophie to live? I still haven't decided yet and your opinions on the matter would be much appreciated!**

**Translations:  
_Chérie:_** Darling/Love/Sweetheart  
_**Merde: **_Shit  
_**Fils de pute: **_Son of a bitch  
_**Baise: **_Fuck  
_**Merde baise: **_Shit fuck  
_**Ami: **_Friend  
_**Grand-père: **_Grandfather

**Special THANKS to everyone that faved and/or alerted! You guys are freaking awesome-sauce!**

**SPECIAL MENTIONS!**

**SavingGrace579: **Thanks, I'm glad you thought the first chapter was interesting. I hope you like this chapter too!

**Snowmbk: **Thanks, I hope you like this chapter!

**Nightwingfan14: **I hope you like this chapter!

**Mrs. Cleaver: **Thanks, I'm glad you think the story is interesting so far. It was really depressing when Sophie died, but I can kinda understand why she did, since it seemed to have made Carol a strong character. Anyhooties, I hope you like this chapter!


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